Holy shit. How can you take a trip to the gym seriously when they play “through the grape vine” and “total eclipse of the heart” while the frat bros do 30 different kinds of curls then hit on the girl behind the desk? I can’t be the only person in WV who takes lifting seriously, but most people I talk to either don’t know what a deadlift is or brag about 160 pounds. Seriously? I did 245 when I was a 112 pound 15 year old. I am by no means a badass or do I claim to be, but is there hope for gym rats?
I support general fitness people and even the people who read on the treadmill, anything is better than nothing, but how can people mock powerlifting or my love of it when they don’t know what the fuck they’re talking about? I don’t workout I train. I have clear set goals and I work towards them. My goal for November 10th is 265/185/375 at 148. My goal for next years USPF nationals is 330/220/420 at 165 lbs. This doesn’t make me better than anyone, but why do people talk to me like I just shit on the floor when I mention powerlifting? “That’ll wreck your back.” “You’ll be crippled by age 30.” Fuck that shit. Why do people care what my goals are? Why do people damn near refuse to be supportive?
I realize this is a pointless rant, but I can’t be the only one who thinks like this.
Its part of the game man you just have deal with it. You think powerlilfing is bad lol show some a video of a person doing Atlas stones holy hell some of the ignorant shit you will hear sickening to the stomach and makes your head hurt how stupid some people are.
Unfortunately only way around it really is cough up about a grand and start training at home. That is my current goal to make my own little shrine in the garage but money is coming much slower than I would like :-(.
Don’t talk to “regular” people or other people in the gym that clearly don’t have the same goals as you about your training or nutrition. Ever. It will save you many headaches. If someone ever asks you how you got so big or strong or how you stay in such great shape, just tell them you are lucky. That’s what they want to hear anyway, that you are just lucky because they’ve done everything and it didn’t work for them.
lol it’s just conversation. It’s what they’re programmed to say, laugh it off get back to your training. Some of the most successful people have fun in the gym, have you not seen the youtube s of Jim and Dave Tate making fun of people. It gets your mind off the realities of life for a second. Being focused too much, while training super intense can lead to overtraining quicker then a 100 maximum effort sets.
I know. You’re all right and its petty to let it bother me, but it does. I mostly train alone in my basement now that I built my own squat rack.
Also yes I love Jim Wendler and Dave Tate and they’d agree to tell em fuck off and get back to work.
And there is nothing wrong with through the grapevine, I just don’t consider it “gym music”
I had some kids bitching about how i was wasting dumbells when i was band benching and about how I was cheating when I arched my back in a bench. I had some kid compare his spotter assisted 135x10 to my 245 single last week. Shit gets annoying man
You just have to tune it out. You’re not there to do what they’re doing; they’re not there to do what you’re doing.
It can be hard though. I remember going for a gym pr on squat in my university’s gym. As I was getting out of the hole, this 65kg frat boy pulled up his tee-shirt and was showing off his malnutrition “abs” to his buddies and said, “I’m going to get situation mode by this summer.” This was followed by a chorus of “yeah bros” from his five other friends. Still made the lift.
My favorite gym move is the ‘inconspicuous’ pulling up of the shirt to check the abs.
“Just gonna pick up my shirt to wipe my mouth from the water fountain…ahhhh yeah- damn I’m sexy.”
As said above, just laugh it off/ignore it. You’ll wear yourself to a frazzle fretting over what folks say in general and especially in the gym.
Well you know the quote. “If you think lifting weights is dangerous, try being weak. Being weak is dangerous.”
I guess it was Bret Contreras who said that? Usually it’s as easy as asking them how good their lower back feels. Or how much knee pain they have. Or if they think they’re in better shape than you and could match you at any physical activity in any capacity. Most of them soon realize it’s the people who can’t deadlift 500 pounds who have back problems.
Not to mention accidents. I think that’s what that quote really means. I can’t tell you how many things have happened to me where I have walked away totally unscathed whereas someone without the support of large muscles and density of bone and strength of tendons would have been seriously injured.
I take a different approach when I have to or get to train at a “gym”. I see all the stupid shit that goes on and a take joy in the fact that those fucktards will never be on the same level as most of “us”.
You have to admit though, that some of the stuff we do looks retarded also looking in from the outside. Squatting with shit tons of chains, board presses, lifting with bands? what is all that stuff about they say… I won’t even get started on supportive gear…
